Today we’d like to introduce you to Shauntelle Sposto.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I got started right out of Highschool. I was offered a volunteer position assisting for a wedding photographer in and from the moment we walked into our first wedding together, I knew this was going to be the coolest job. I had always enjoyed taking pictures. I was the kid in class whose parents always sent with a disposable camera to summer camp or field trips. My favorite thing was to take photos of my friends, RUN to the local print lab and drop off the camera to have the film developed. Getting the prints back was a THRILL! I still have boxes and photo albums stuffed with those memories from Junior High and High School. Those images are more precious to me than anything. It was only natural, after working for a photographer for a couple of wedding seasons, to develop the hunger for my own clients. So, I bought my first camera and started building my portrait portfolio shooting over the shoulder of my photographer friend at weddings and shooting friends and family portraits in collage. I then took a job working for the school magazine of the university I attended. The little department I worked for was terribly underfunded and undereducated. I had the privilege of taking the little knowledge I had and applying it to advancing the program for the year I worked there. I knew then, it was time to focus my education on Photography so, I dropped out of the university, moved back home, and enrolled in full time photography education in Long Beach. From that time on, I focused on building a clientele and working as MUCH as possible to build up my portfolio!
Has it been a smooth road?
I was working on building my knowledge of the craft, pushing myself scholastically, and maintaining my little portrait studio all while working at restaurants, retail shops and doing music on the side to support my passion and save up enough money to buy the “good cameras”. It was always a hustle. Through the years, and through my 20s I shot many weddings and had some really lovely job opportunities. In 2008, the industry I knew and the system I was shooting on was becoming obsolete. I’m a film shooter. Specifically, Medium Format Color Film. Digital wedding photographers were taking over the industry. Shooting imagery, I just couldn’t keep up with creatively. I felt disconnected, uneducated, and frustrated. In fact, there wasn’t even digital photography classes available when I went to school! I was young and couldn’t keep up. So I took a break. It wasn’t until I found an online education source in 2010 that was offering free live classes that I found a new love for the industry I had been a part of for so long. So, I rebranded, relaunched, and never looked back. I had finally mastered the digital side of the business and lucky enough the industry was supporting film again.
So, let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Sposto Photography story. Tell us more about the business.
I run a full-time business shooting weddings and editorials all over the United States and Europe. I’m so beyond grateful for the education and inspiration I received from SO many along the way.
We’re known for our romantic and timeless style focusing on “capturing unforgettable moments”. I also love to teach and mentor in the photographic community, and am able to pursue personal projects with my art fueled and funded by Sposto Photography.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I see the industry moving heavily back towards a film aesthetic. I think photographers want to be challenged and feel like they’re creating images in a thoughtful, craftsman-like way. I’m always looking for the “risk” that digital imagery just doesn’t provide and I think others are starting to discover the value in that and the reward.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.spostophotography.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/spostophoto
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/spostophotography
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/spostophoto
Image Credit:
Florals by: Lavenders Flowers
Silk Ribbon: Tono and Co
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
